Platform style ampule breaker



March 4, 1969 c. c. CLEVELAND 3,431,147

PLATFORM STYLE AMPULE BREAKER Filed April 7, 1961 FIG.1.

INVENTOR. C. C. CLEVELAND avg 9W ATTYS.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,431,147 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 1 Claim This invention relates to Spin activated batteries of the type used in projectiles and initiated by set back forces and more particularly to the supporting means for the electrolyte containing bottle.

Previously it has been common practice to support a bottle formed of a frangible material and containing an electrolyte upon a resilient mount which will resist certain shocks of handling and accidental dropping but which will yield to the set back force set up when the projectile is fired, to break and allow the electrolyte to escape.

Batteries of the spin activated type are used for electrical operated projectile fuses and it is desirable that they can be stored for long periods during which the batteries themselves are completely inactive. One Way of accomplishing this is to enclose the electrolyte in a frangible bottle and provide means for breaking the bottle during the firing of the projectile.

With the present invention the electrolyte used is one which is most advantageously housed in a glass bottle which will stand ordinary shocks without breaking, but which upon the application of a sudden substantially severe shock will shatter in very small pieces.

An object of the invention is to provide for use in a battery, of the spin activated type normally used to energize electrical circuits in time fuses for projectiles. A support, for an electrolyte containing bottle, which is ordinarily rigid, but which will give way under sufiicient force to suddenly project the bottle into contact with a breaking point.

Another object of this invention is to provide a support for an electrolyte containing bottle for a battery which consists of only two parts which may be assembled and handled as a unit during the assembly of the battery.

A further object is the provision of a cup having a supported platform, substantially rigid under ordinary shocks, which will give way completely under the set back force established, when the projectile is fired, to permit the bottle to move without resistance against a breaking knob which is formed as an integral part of the support.

It is a still further object to provide a support for an electrolyte containing a bottle which will offer a substantially rigid support to withstand ordinary shocks and which will give way completely under the set back force established during the firing of a projectile to permit the bottle to be projected upon a breaking knob without any resistance and to provide guidance of the bottle during its short travel to preclude a possibility of the bottle canting and jamming against the inside wall of the battery thus preventing the sudden impact of the bottle against the breaking knob.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of the battery with the bottle in supported position;

FIG. 2 is a cross section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical cross section, similar to FIG. 1 showing the position of the support after the bottle is shattered, and omitting the glass fragment.

Referring particularly to the drawing, wherein like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, the battery, of the spin activated type is shown with attention to detail only in those parts which are pertinent to the invention.

The battery 6 is formed with a cylindrical steel casing 7 enclsing a plastic cylinder 8 and top and bottom plates 9 and 11 respectively. Anodes 12 and cathodes 13 formed by coating opposite sides of a steel washer with lead and lead oxide respectively are separated by an electrolyte absorbing wafer 14. These washers and separators are formed with a central hole to permit stacking around an inner cylinder 15 formed of plastic and having a longitudinal slit 16 providing a channel forming communicatiion between the cells and the interior of the inner cylin- The battery is formed by assembling the cells in a form and potting an outer cylinder around the cells. After the outer cylinder is formed a core is placed in the center and the inner cylinder is potted. This forms a homogeneous mass enclosing the cells which may be referred to for convenience as the outer and inner cylinder. After potting the inner portion, the steel casing is applied and drawn to size.

The interior of the inner cylinder is shaped to conform to the outlines of the electrolyte bottle to confine the bottle closely and thus limit the movement of the bottle during the necessary handling and transportation of the battery prior to use.

Seated on the bottom plate 11 of the battery, a metallic cup 17 is formed with an integral breaking knob 18 and a cylindrical wall 19. At approximately midway of its height the cylindrical wall is formed with six inwardly extending dimples 21 which support a platform disc or washer 22 having a central hole 2-3. The cylindrical wall is further deformed by having three downwardly struck tabs 24 bent inwardly from its upper edge and equally spaced around the circumference of the upper edge. Between the dimples and the tabs the washer 22 is normally held substantially rigid against displacement.

The sealed glass bottle 25 containing the electrolyte rests on the washer 22 and is confined by that part of the cylindrical wall 19 extending above the washer. The glass bottle is thus supported, a distance approximately equal to one-half the height of the cylindrical wall 19, above the breaking knob 18.

When the projectile is fired a tremendous set back force acts on the glass bottle pressing it down on the washer 22, which resists ordinary shocks of handling or accidental dropping, forcing the washer past the dimple to the bottom of the cup. When the washer gives way and falls, the central hole in the washer, being larger than the breaker knob 18, guides the washer preventing canting or jamming of the washer against the wall 19 of the cup and the washer falls to the bottom of the cup leaving the breaker knob free and clear.

The washer is followed by the glass bottle which hits the breaker knob with force sufficient to shatter the bottle into small fragments. It is necessary in batteries of this type to completely shatter the bottle into small fragments so that the passageway 16 will not be clogged by a glass particle and the fiow of electrolyte impeded.

This invention provides an electrolyte containing bottle which when sufiicient force is applied breaks its supporting means and falls free and clear to the breaking knob.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

3 4 What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by is restrained from movement and forms a non-re- Letters Patent of the United States is: silient support for said bottle against said ordinary 1. A battery of the spin activated type comprising: shocks; a plurality of annular stacked plates having annular and a breaking knob integral with said metal ca and spaces therebetween forming the anodes and cathodes in the path of movement of the bottle under the inof a plurality of cells; 5 flnence of said predetermined shock to shatter said spacers between said plates; bottle upon engagement therewith to permit passage a frangible bottle containing electrolyte positioned of said electrolyte through said longitudinal opening within the annular opening formed by said plates; to said cells. insulating means disposed between said bottle and said 10 plates and surrounding all but a single hollow longi- References Cited tttlidinil openirzlg afljacglllt 20 said 1pltates and said bot- UNITED STATES PATENTS eexen 1ng e eng 0 sa1 paes; a metal cap supporting said bottle substantially rigid %;2; g 55253 against ordinary shocks but giving way completely 1 Vere a 5 2,918,516 12/1959 Everett 136-90 garnst a certam predetermined shock, 9 1 5 3/1960 B n 36 90 said metal cap formed with a -cylindrical wall extend- 4 mm 1 mg lnto said annular opening and havlng mtegrai FOREIGN PATENTS dimples extending therefrom;

a washer supported on said dimples within said wall 20 6 11/1954 Franceto receive said bottle in physical contact therewith;

a plurality of integral nonresilient inturned tabs within CARL QUARFORTH, Primary Exammersaid cylindrical wall and engaging the top of said MCGREAL Assistant Examiner washer on its outer periphery whereby said washer 

1. A BATTERY OF THE SPIN ACTIVATED TYPE COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF ANNULAR STACKED PLATES HAVING ANNULAR SPACES THEREBETWEEN FORMING THE ANODES AND CATHODES OF A PLURALITY OF CELLS; SPACERS BETWEEN SAID PLATES A FRANGIBLE BOTTLE CONTAINING ELECTROLYTE POSITIONED WITHIN THE ANNULAR OPENING FORMED BY SAID PLATES; INSULATING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BOTTLE AND SAID PLATES AND SURROUNDING ALL BUT A SINGLE HOLLOW LONGITUDINAL OPENING ADJACENT TO SAID PLATES AND SAID BOTTLE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF SAID PLATES; A METAL CAP SUPPORTING SAID BOTTLE SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID AGAINST ORDINARY SHOCKS BUT GIVING WAY COMPLETELY AGAINST A CERTAIN PREDETERMINED SHOCK; SAID METAL CAP FORMED WITH A CYLINDRICAL WALL EXTENDING INTO SAID ANNULAR OPENING AND HAVING INTEGRAL DIMPLES EXTENDING THEREFROM; A WASHER SUPPORTED ON SAID DIMPLES WITHIN IN SAID WALL TO RECEIVE SAID BOTTLE IN PHYSICAL CONTACT THEREWITH; A PLURALITY OF INTEGRAL NONRESILIENT INTURNED TABS WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL AND ENGAGING THE TOP OF SAID WASHER ON ITS OUTER PERIPHERY WHEREBY SAID WASHER IS RESTRAINED FROM MOVEMENT AND FORMS A NON-RESILIENT SUPPORT FOR SAID BOTTLE AGAINST SAID ORDINARY SHOCKS; 